Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League (WPISL)

Background
In 2004, a group of managers and coaches got together and decided to start a girls slow pitch softball league for varsity eligible players. Unlike slow pitch community leagues that play in the Spring, the new league would play in the Fall and consist of players who attend the school in the school district their team represents. While the league began with teams sponsored by their community association, the eventual goal is for all teams to achieve "club sport status" in their respective school districts. The league conducted its inaugural season in the Fall of 2006.

History

* 2006 - The WPISL conducted its inaugural season. During the 2006 season only varsity level teams (grades 9-12) played.
* 2007 - The WPISL expanded to two levels of play called Varsity and Junior High. The players participating were in grades 7-12.
* 2008 - The WPISL changed to Varsity and JV levels of play, and not all JV teams had 7th and 8th grade participants.
* 2009 - The WPISL expanded to three levels of play called Varsity, JV and Junior High. This doubled the number of teams from twelve teams in 2008 to twenty-five teams in 2009.
* 2011 - The WPISL went from 29 teams in 2010 to 40 teams in 2011, a 35% growth year-to-year
* 2012 - The WPISL added teams from Plum and Mt Pleasant
* 2013 - The WPISL increased to 46 teams adding teams from South Fayette and West Mifflin.  Baldwin becomes 6th school to be approved for club status
* 2015 - The WPISL added teams from Mt Lebanon at JV and Jr High and Thomas Jefferson returned at Varsity and Jr High

* 2022 - Mt. Lebanon achieved school club status.  Developmental Division creates beginning with grades 5-6.

* 2023 – Developmental League adds new division for grades 3-4.  Team count increased to 61.

Club Status

* 2008 - North Allegheny received school board approval to become a “club sport”, Post Gazette Article Link.
* 2009 - North Hills School Board, by a vote of 7-1, approved girl’s slow pitch softball to become a club sport in its district.

* 2009 - Bethel Park School Board approved girl’s slow pitch softball to become a club sport in its district effective immediately.
* 2010 - Hampton School Board unanimously approved girl’s slow pitch softball to become a club sport.
* 2012 - Plum joins the league with school approved club sport status.
* 2013 - Baldwin school board approves a team for club sport status
* 2014 - Shaler Area board unanimously approves their team for club sport status
* 2014 - Montour school board approves their team, making them the 8th team in the WPISL to achieve club sport status.

* 2022 - Mt. Lebanon Athletic Director approved team for club sport status. 9th in the WPISL.

Overview of Season and Games
The Varsity level regular season begins the weekend of Labor Day. The season consists of seven weekends of regular season games followed by a weekend of playoffs.

The JV season starts the weekend after Labor Day. The season has seven weekends of games, and there are no playoffs. The Junior High has a schedule similar to the JV.

All regular season games typically consist of two 7-inning games scheduled against the same opponent. The playoffs are single elimination 7-inning games. The Varsity level typically plays its regular season games on Sunday, while the JV level plays its games on Saturday. The Junior High level plays on both Saturday and Sunday, with a majority of the games on Saturday.

The Varsity playoffs utilize a single-elimination format, consisting of 7-inning games.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Baldwin
                                • Bethel Park
                                • Hempfield
                                • Montour
                                • Mt. Lebanon
                                • Mt. Pleasant
                                • North Allegheny
                                • North Hills
                                • Penn Trafford
                                • Peters Township
                                • Plum
                                • Seneca Valley
                                • Shaler
                                • West Allegheny